World Heritage and Noodle Soup

Note: Folks, I have no idea why some paragraphs in this post appear underlined when I view it in Explorer but not when I view it in Firefox, or why the underline that appears in my Typepad screen refuses to be removed. But it's evening here in George Town, and time to walk the dog again, so I'll leave it be for now. In the meantime, any suggestions for fixes welcome.

In George Town our morning routine is like this: get up, grab the dog (we've been fortunate enough to be able to dog-sit for a friend whenever we're in town), and walk three blocks to Campbell Street Market.

Over the last couple of days I've been talking to alot of Penang-ites and other concerned folks about last year's UNESCO World Heritage designation and what it's meant for George Town. Everyone's got an opinion, and those opinions are all over the map.

I'll just say this: I'm glad for the UNESCO designation, if for no other reason than that it might mean Campbell Street Market has a fighting chance of surviving as a real wet market. 

All over Asia inner-city markets are being closed to make way for development, or gussied up to the point that they resemble open-air Carrefours. Campbell Street Market is probably a shadow of its former self, but it's still a real live market. Housed in an attractive colonial-era structure modeled after Victorian-area markets in  Britain, it boasts large seafood section, a busy poultry section, some dry goods vendors, and a few pork sellers.

If you walk by around 9p, when the market is otherwise deserted and the streets around are still and dark, you'll find a few butchers breaking down carcasses for the next day's sales. Occasionally a car pulls up to the curb, and out steps an in-the-know customer whose come to purchase a kilo or two of George Town's freshest meat.

In the mornings a good portion of the market's action happens on Carnavon Lane, which runs perpendicular to Campbell Street alongside one wall of the market. Lining the road are vegetables and fruit stalls, wrinkled old men selling fresh prawns and fish, an elderly lady hawking fish balls and five kinds of bean curd, and vendors standing behind displays of dried fish and prawns and fresh noodles.

Hugging the market's Carnavon Street wall is a row of hawkers offering prepared dishes. It's here that we head right away for bags of strong, milky-sweet kopi (Malaysian-style 'sock-brewed' coffee) with ice, to sip while we're walking the dog. By now the owners of the kopi stall -- a mother and daughter who don't smile much but are friendly in their own, understated sort of way way -- know me, and all I have to do is hold up two or three fingers as I approach to indicate how many RM 1.20 (less than forty US cents) bags of coffee I want to take away.

Behind this row of vendors are four or five tables, placed snug up against the market's wall. They're always filled, and often their occupants are slurping up noodles in a soup that's tinted such a dark crimson that just looking at it nearly makes the back of your throat burn. It's always a temptation to stop for a bowlful -- but there's Dave, back on the corner with the dog, waiting for me and his bag of coffee.

Last week though, we got our chance. Walking by Campbell Street Market around 10:30 -- coffees long drunk, dog walked hours ago -- we were free to pull up a couple metal stools and sample the noodles we've been eyeing for the last four months.

The vendor advertises sup kari (coconut curry soup with noodles) and qing tang mian (clear noodle soup). What we'd been coveting, and what we ended up with, is actually a cross of the two: clear noodle soup with a splodge of red curry paste on top. The bigger the splodge, the hotter the dish.

There's sliced roast pork in there, and briny-fresh prawns with a little bit of crunch. The stock is light but meaty. And the curry paste -- well, it's fantastic: toasty flavored from roasted dried chilies, lightened with perhaps some lemon grass, spiked with garlic and ginger and given depth with maybe a few ground dried spices, fiery enough to bring a tingle to the lips but not so spicy as to overpower the porkiness of the stock. It delivers a shocking little burst of heat that quickly recedes. Didn't miss the coconut milk, not at all.

Eating at tables around us were trishaw drivers, housewives laden with plastic bags bursting vegetables, and a newspaper seller from across the way. Without Campbell Street Market to draw business, it's doubtful that this noodle seller would be here.

And so, for purely selfish reasons, I say 'Long may the UNESCO World Heritage designation stand.'

Noodle soup stall, next to Campbell Street Market, Carnavon Road almost at the corner of Campbell Street, George Town, Penang. Early morning till noon or 1pm-ish.

Comments

[J2Kfm]

very vivid descriptions, I can almost taste that bowl of 'yin yang' noodle soup with curry.

[Andy]

Hmm. Strange with the underlined text - have you tried viewing the html on the post?

As always very jealous of the amazing food - I'm in the middle of writing up about my visit to Penang and it's depressing to think it was over a month ago!

Andy - Please allow me to see when you are online.

[Andy]

Sorry, that was meant to be my weblink after my name! (Think I had something else copied into my clipboard)

Andy - http://onceuponathyme.wordpress.com

[Marie]

My stomach is growling as I wait for my husband to get out of the shower so we can go for breakfast. Not sure why I opened your blog in the hungry part of the day! It's sad about the markets when, here in New Zealand we seem to be having a resurgence in farmers markets. Both cultures seem to think they are the ones moving forward!

[Victor]

But the Campbell St wet market surely is under the Heritage zone and should now be protected. There is also the Chowrasta wet market which I heard will be restored to its former glory. That was the place for shopping for the Penangites, both for textiles and fresh produces.

I have more faith in Penang (maybe not in Georgetown CBD) wet market scenes and lifestyles - they will always be part of Penang life and culture; the like of Pulau Tikus near Georgetown and further afield like my mum's area in Taman Lip Sin and Balik Pulau.

That noodle dishes that you described are interesting. Strange as a Penang born and grew up there, I have never even try that before. Must do when I go home for a visit next month. Thanks.

[550ml jar of faith @minchow]

Your pics do more wonders for Penang than what the state govt has managed with the UNESCO World Heritage designation. I have the pleasure of being born and bred in Penang; I don't live there anymore but my one and only visit to Campbell St Market some years ago will always remain to me a distinct slice of the island's identity.

[Account Deleted]

Great post ! It is sad when our heritage has to make way for so-called progress. Sometimes tradition is more precious then the new new stuff. We just lost our beautifual old fish market in Kuching. A part of our history is gone forever !

[Robyn]

J2Kfm - spot-on there, yes it is a bit 'yin-yang'.

Hi Andy- I'm a bit afraid of HTML but I'll give it a try.

Marie-good point, about both thinking they're moving forward.

Hi Victor - the Heritage designation only protects structures, not 'living heritage'. So while the building itself is guaranteed to survive, the use of the building as a wet market is not. Fingers crossed.

Thanks 550ml -- appreciate the kind words.

cw foo&travel - oh, so sorry to hear that! I loved that market! Yikes, it's happening all over Asia...

[Victor]

Oh, no Robyn. I see what you mean now. I hope it will be preserved as a wet market and not turn into some modern accommodation or shopping arcade. Yuk!

[Chai]

Hi Robyn,
I have been following your blog for few years and always enjoyed immensely your writing and Dave's photos.
The photo of the bowl of noodle seems like prawn noodle soup( hokkien mee or hae mee). As far as I know, there's no coconut milk. The soup stock is made from pork bones, pork meat ( which is cut thinly and served with the noodle) and prawns ( shells included, before been de-shelled and served with the noodle too).
You make me miss my hometown:)

[Rasa Malaysia]

When I was little, my aunt would take me to this market. There used to be a hand-made popiah skin maker on the other side of the wet market. I loved watching him making sheets and sheets of fresh popiah skin, it was like watching magic with his dough! After the wet market, my aunt would then window shop at the many goldsmith shops. I have to agree, this market is just a sad shadow of its glorious past. Sad as it was one of the best wet markets back then. :(

[Lady Macaron]

That white heritage building is very beautiful! i must visit Penang one day, it's fascinating how asian countries once ruled by British colony still retains great charms mix with local attributes. Great noodle too I bet, yum just makes my tummy crumbles...
~emmelyn~

[Robyn]

Hi Chai - Thanks for your comment ... and for reading! The noodles may look like Penang Hokkien mee but they're not - no prawn heads in the stock, the stock is clear not red, plus the paste on top is more 'curry-ish' tasting than prawn mee paste. But thanks for reminding me that I haven't had a good bowl of prawn mee in too long. Luckily we still have a couple more days on Penang!

Hi Bee - yes the market is a shadow of its former self but it's still up and running, and drawing crowds everyday. I'm thankful for that, seeing as so many others have bit the dust. Let's hope it stays as it is.